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2011 SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL (ARCHIVE)

8 May 2012
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[This page is the archive of  2011 Sydney Film Festival coverage. For news, reviews and full coverage of the 2012 Sydney Film Festival, CLICK HERE]


**SBS TWO, JUNE: Don't miss our special retrospective of films from past Sydney Film Festivals**
Full program info

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Sydney Film Festival program
Get a comprehensive overview of what's playing at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival. 

REVIEWS
Need some help deciding what's worth watching? Find out what our team of critics think of the films in the program (updated daily).

The Tree of Life
(US)
Writer/director: Terrence Malick
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Norwegian Wood
Writer/director: Tran Anh Hung
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Sleeping Beauty
(Australia)
Writer/director: Julia Leigh
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The Future
(USA) 
Writer/director: Miranda July
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Take Shelter
(US)
Writer/director: Jeff Nichols
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Watch interview

13 Assassins
(Japan)
Director: Takashi Miike
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A Separation
(Iran)
Writer/director: Asghar Farhadi
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Toomelah
(Australia)
Writer/director: Ivan Sen
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Watch interview

Meek's Cutoff
(US)
Director: Kelly Reichardt
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Le Quattro Volte (The Four Times)
(Italy)
Writer/director: Michelangelo Frammartino
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The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
(US)
Co-writer/director: Morgan Spurlock
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The Beaver
(US)
Director: Jodie Foster
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Cedar Rapids
(US)
Director: Miguel Arteta
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The Trip
(UK)
Director: Michael Winterbottom
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Amador
(Spain)
Writer/director: Fernando León de Aranoa
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Cairo 678
(Egypt)
Director: Mohamed Diab
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Sacrifice
(China) 
Director: Chen Kaige
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Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel
(USA) 
Co-writer/director: Alex Stapleton
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Read interview

33 Postcards
(China/Australia) 
Writer/director: Pauline Chan
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Attenberg
(Greece) 
Writer/director: Athina Rachel Tsangari
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Target 
(Russia)
Director: Alexander Zeldovich
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Armadillo
(Denmark) 
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen
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Watch the trailer

LennoNYC
(USA)
Director: Michael Epstein
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Read interview  

Happy Happy
(Norway)
Director: Anne Sewitsky
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The Forgiveness of Blood
(Albania)
Director: Joshua Marston
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Life, Above All
(South Africa) 
Director: Oliver Schmitz
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Microphone
(Egypt)
Writer/director: Ahmad Abdalla
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Tucker & Dale vs Evil
(USA)
Co-writer/director: Eli Craig
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Silent Souls
(Russia) 
Director: Aleksei Fedorchenko
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The Troll Hunter
(Norway)
Writer/director: André Øvredal
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Scarlet Road
(Australia)
Director: Catherine Scott
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Stake Land
(USA)
Co-writer/director: Jim Mickle
Read review and synopsis
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Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
(Australia) 
Writer/director: Matthew Bate
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Tiong Bahru
(Singapore)
Directors: Joe Lawlor, Christine Molloy
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Jane Eyre
(UK)
Director: Cary Fukunaga
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How to Start Your Own Country
(Canada) 
Co-writer/director: Jody Shapiro
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Watch interview

Martha Marcy May Marlene
(USA)
Writer/director: Sean Durkin
Read synopsis and review

Project Nim
(UK)
Director: James Marsh
Read synopsis and review

Relive the highlights of Sydney Film Festivals past in our archive of SBS Film coverage.

2010 SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL (ARCHIVE)

2009 SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL (ARCHIVE)

 

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Sunday, 19th May
23:15
Breakfast On Pluto
In the 1970s, a young transgender foundling, Patrick 'Kitten' Braden, comes of age by leaving his Irish town for London, in part to look for his mother and in part because his gender identity is beyond the town's understanding. Nominated for a 2006 Golden Globe for Best Actor (Cillian Murphy). Directed by Neil Jordan and also stars Stephen Rea, Eva Birthistle and Liam Neeson. (From the UK) (Drama) (2006) (Rpt) MAV (V,L) CC
Monday, 20th May
13:00
Dragon Tiger Gate
Based on Tony Wong's long-running comic book series. Dragon and his brother Tiger emerge from the back streets of Hong Kong to help the powerless fight injustice. Nominated for Best Action Choreography at the 2007 Hong Kong Film Awards. Directed by Wilson Yip and stars Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yu. (From Hong Kong, in Cantonese) (Action/Adventure) (2006) (Rpt) M (V)
00:05
Election 2
As election time nears, current triad chairman Lok faces competition from his godsons. Jimmy is the perfect candidate: smart and entrepreneurial. Even the Chinese authorities are interested in what Jimmy has to offer. The only problem is, Lok isn't one who gives up power easily. Winner of the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for Best Film in 2007. Directed by Johnnie To and stars Louis Koo, Simon Yam and Nick Cheung. (From Hong Kong, in Cantonese) (Mystery/Crime) (2006) (Rpt) MAV (V)
Tuesday, 21st May
23:00
Night And Fog
Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui paints a realistic picture of domestic violence in this dark family drama. Beginning at the end of the story, the film opens with the brutal murder by a man of his wife and daughters. Going back through witness testimonies and flashbacks, we learn how turmoil and violence lurked underneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic family. Nominated for three Hong Kong Film Awards in 2010, including Best Director. Stars Simon Yam, Jingchu Zhang and Amy Chum. (From Hong Kong, in Cantonese and Mandarin) (Drama) (2009) MAV (A,V)
Wednesday, 22nd May
23:10
Brick
Brendan Frye is a loner, someone who knows all the angles but has chosen to stay on the outside. When his ex-girlfriend Emily turns up dead, he is determined to find out why, and plunges into the dark and dangerous underworld of a high school crime ring. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Rian Johnson and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas and Emilie de Ravin. (From the US) (Mystery/Crime) (2005) M (V,D) CC
00:05
Accused
On the surface, Henrik and Nina Christofferson are a seemingly ordinary couple with a happy family life. But their 14-year-old daughter, Stine, has a habit of telling lies in class. When Stine accuses her father of sexual abuse, and is believed by seemingly eager social workers, their family is thrust into crisis. Nominated for the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2005. Directed by Jacob Thuesen and stars Troels Lyby, Sofie Grabol and Kirstine Rosenkrands Mikkelsen. (From Denmark, in Danish) (Drama) (2005) (Rpt) MA (A)
Thursday, 23rd May
00:10
Estomago: A Gastronomic Story
After landing a job in a diner to pay for his meal, a tramp proves to be a talented cook as he works his way up in the hospitality world and falls for a prostitute who is taken with his culinary skills. A multi-award winning film, including the 2009 Cinema Brazil Grand Prize for Best Film. Directed by Marcos Jorge and stars Joao Miguel, Fabiula Nascimento and Babu Santana. (From Brazil, in Portuguese) (Drama) (2007) (Rpt) MAV (N,L,S,N)
Friday, 24th May
23:05
Manual Of Love 2
Monica Bellucci leads a host of good-looking Italian actors in this heart-warming, comical anthology of four interconnected tales of love. A radio DJ invites listeners to call in and tell their love stories. What follows are the stories of four different kinds of relationships. Directed by Giovanni Veronesi and also stars Carlo Verdone, Riccardo Scamarcio and Sergio Rubini. (From Italy, in Italian) (Romantic Comedy) (2007) (Rpt) M (S,L,N,V)
00:45
Empire Of The Wolves
Jean Reno stars in this fast paced action thriller in the vein of The Bourne Identity. Two police officers scour the underworld of Paris to investigate a series of brutal murders. The case leads them to a mysterious Turkish far-right group called the Grey Wolves. Directed by Chris Nahon, and also stars Arly Jover and Jocelyn Quivrin. (From France, in French and Turkish) (Thriller) (2005) (Rpt) MAV (V)
Saturday, 25th May
21:30
Snowtown
Based on true events, 16-year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighbourhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder. Winner of six Australian Film Institute awards in 2012, including Best Direction. Directed by Justin Kurzel and stars Lucas Pittaway, Bob Adriaens and Louise Harris. (From Australia) (Mystery/Crime) (2011) MAV (A,V,L) CC
> View full SBS Film schedule
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